The present invention is directed to a talking action figure toy having a speech patterns that correspond to facial expressions.
Action figures and similar toys are known in the art. Many such action figures have experienced commercial success, and manufacturers continually search for ways to enhance the play value of such action figures by providing novel features and/or various accessories. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,516 to Lam discloses a toy doll with lips that move as speech sounds are created. Upon activation of a circuit an electrical motor is activated which turns a drive shaft and gear train, thus causing the lips of the doll to move in an attempt to simulate speech. U.S. Pat. No. 6,110,001 to Chae discloses a toy doll having a deformable face that moves in response to movement of a operating device.
In one aspect, an action figure having synchronized speech and facial expressions comprises a body defining an internal cavity, a head attached to the body, the head being deformable and having a plurality of facial expressions, an electrical circuit disposed within the cavity and operatively coupled to a sound generator, the electrical circuit arranged for connection to a power source, the electrical circuit and the sound generator arranged to output an audible first speech mode and an audible second speech mode, and an actuator assembly mounted to the body and operatively coupled to both the head and the electrical circuit, the actuator assembly shiftable between a plurality of positions, the actuator assembly arranged to synchronize the first speech mode with a first facial expression and to synchronize the second speech mode with a second facial expression.
By using a single, dual action input button, a user can control both the speech modes and the facial expressions. For example, a first speech mode may mimic normal speech, and corresponds to a first facial expression, such as the mouth of the figure being partially open. A second speech mode may mimic excited speech or yelling, and may correspond to a second facial expression, such as the mouth of the figure being more completely open. Additionally, the second facial expression may include deformed eyebrows, or other features typically indicative of excited or yelling speech.
The actuator assembly may include a rod shiftably disposed within the body and the head may include a pivot lever, with an upper part of the rod operatively engaging the pivot lever. Thus, the pivot lever is shiftable between a first position corresponding to the first facial expression and a second position corresponding to the second facial expression in response to movement of the rod. Preferably, the head includes a flexible skin, and the pivot lever engages the flexible skin. Still preferably the head includes a third facial expression.
The actuator assembly may include a shiftable input button and a shiftable rod, with the rod shiftable in response to movement of the button, the rod operatively connected to the head such that movement of the rod changes the head between the plurality of facial expressions. The button and the rod are moveable to an unshifted position and the head includes a third facial expression corresponding to the unshifted positions of the button and the rod.
The electrical circuit includes an inactive mode, and the head includes a third facial expression corresponding to the inactive mode. A first switch and a second switch may be disposed within the body and operatively coupled to the electrical circuit, the first switch arranged to activate the first speech mode and the second switch arranged to activate the second speech mode. The actuator assembly includes a input button assembly, with the button assembly including a first surface arranged to trigger the first switch in response to movement of the button assembly a first distance, the button assembly including a second surface arranged to trigger the second switch in response to movement of the button assembly a second distance. Both a first input button and a second input button may be provided, and the second input button may be nested within the first input button. The rod may be shiftable within the body and arranged to shift from a rest position to a first shifted position and to a second shifted position, and the head includes a first pivot lever and a second pivot lever operatively engaged by the rod. At least one of the first and second pivot levers is arranged to pivot in response to movement of the rod to the first shifted position, the first shifted position corresponding to the first facial expression, the first and second pivot levers arranged to pivot in response to movement of the rod to the second shifted position, the second shifted position corresponding to the second facial expression. The head preferably includes a deformable skin having a jaw and a forehead area, with the first pivot lever attached to the jaw, the second pivot lever attached to the forehead area.
In another aspect of the invention, an action figure toy comprises a body defining an internal cavity, and a head attached to the body, the head including a deformable skin and a lever engaging the skin, with the skin being deformable in response to movement of the lever such that the skin may be positioned in a plurality of facial expressions. An actuator is moveably mounted within the body and operatively connected to the lever, and an input button is mounted to the body and is operatively connected to the actuator. The input button is shiftable to a first position corresponding to a first facial expression and to a second position corresponding to a second facial expression.